The union’s victory came just days before its one-year anniversary of negotiations, which began on Oct. 17, 2024.

Composto reflected on building a representative working group, incorporating an interdisciplinary approach for undergraduates, and the importance of “thinking boldly.”

The Executive Committee emphasized that signing the compact would “compromise” Penn’s academic freedom and scholarly diversity.

The student groups — Penn Democrats, Penn College Republicans, and Penn Leads the Vote — emphasized the importance of civic engagement ahead of this year’s election. 

The statements call on Penn to hold the students in the video accountable for their actions, publicly acknowledge the video, and reaffirm its commitment to supporting and protecting Black students.   

The document was drafted in partnership with student representatives from six of the eight other universities initially approached with the federal government’s proposed higher education compact.

The proposed policy would abolish the “duration of status” period — which allows international students to stay in the United States through the length of their academic program.

According to English faculty members, the decision to end the nearly 40-year-old program was made abruptly by Penn Abroad at the start of the fall 2025 semester. 

The Oct. 11 message was sent in response to a memo from Penn that outlined recommendations for department chairs to “maintain teaching continuity” should graduate students participate in a work stoppage.

Many of the events are organized in partnership with various schools and organizations across Penn, mirroring the collaborative strategy outlined in the new Climate and Sustainability Action Plan.

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian, Chen detailed his journey from Penn to Silicon Valley, the culture of Elon Musk’s company, and his relationship to Diego Pasini. 

He described his new role as an effort to maintain the University’s momentum — a mission that requires institutional flexibility amid an evolving landscape of federal policies and financial stress.

At the picket, GET-UP announced that its members have begun pledging to authorize a strike if Penn continues to reject the union’s proposed contract. 

“There is no room for hate within the Penn community,” a University spokesperson wrote in a statement to the DP. 

During the event, speakers shared personal stories about their experiences on Oct. 7 and the victims of the attack.

The compact, which was send to nine universities including Penn on Oct. 1, outlined sweeping set of principles addressing academic freedom, testing, and international undergraduate enrollment.

Many of the photos had not been cataloged or published until Marc Marín Webb, a Ph.D. candidate in Mesopotamian history and archaeology, rediscovered them in 2022.